The author of this article in the Encyclopedia Britannica does not see that it is the modern [then as now] orthodox “scientific nosology, or system of disease” which obscures the simplicity and precision of the Hippocratic philosophy of disease and cure.

“In the treatment of disease, the Hippocratic school attached great importance to diet, the variations necessary in different diseases being minutely defined.  In chronic cases diet, exercises and natural methods were chiefly relied upon.”

These wonderful truths, with other wisdom of the ancients, were lost in the spiritual darkness of the Middle Ages.  Modern medicine looks upon these claims and teachings of the Hippocratic School as “superstition without any foundation in fact.”  However, the great sages of antiquity, drawing upon a source of ancient wisdom, deeply hidden from the self-satisfied scribes and wise men of the schools, after all, proclaimed the truth.

Every case of chronic disease properly treated by natural methods proves the reality and stability of the Law of Crises.  It is therefore a standing wonder and surprise to one who knows, that this all-important and self-evident law is practically unknown to the disciples of the regular schools.

The Law of Sevens

In accordance with the Law of Periodicity, the sixth period in any seven periods is marked by reactions, changes, revolutions or crises.  It is, therefore, looked upon by popular intuition as an unlucky period.  Friday, the sixth day of the week, is regarded as an unlucky day; Friday is hangman’s day; according to tradition the Master, Jesus, was crucified on Friday.

Counting from the first sixth or Friday period in any given number of hours, days, weeks, months, years or groups of years, as the case may be, every succeeding seventh period is characterized by crises.

This explains why 13 is considered an unlucky number.  It represents the second critical or Friday period.

However, there is really no cause for this superstitious fear of Friday and the number 13.  It is due to a lack of understanding of Nature’s Laws.  By intelligent cooperation with these laws we may turn the critical periods in our lives into healing crises and beneficial changes.

We should not fear the crises periods of the larger life and the changes in our outward circumstances which they may bring any more than we should fear crises in the physical body.

A thorough understanding of the nature and purpose of healing crises in acute and chronic diseases has taught me the nature and purpose of evil in general.  It has made me understand more clearly the meaning of “Resist not Evil” and of the saying:  “We are punished by our sins, not for our sins.”  It has shown me that evil is not a punishment or a curse, but a necessary complement of good, that it is corrective and educational in its purposes, that it remains with us only as long as we need its salutary lessons.